tion and Incorporate us that we may be Invested with Town Priveledges and immunities as other towns are in this Province And Your petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray &c. Oct 3d 1759 THOMAS MORISON Your Petition beg leave to add as a matter of Considerable Importance that the only Road from Portsmouth thro' this Province to number four is thro' said Township of Peterborough & which makes it more necessary to Repair said Road within said Township & to make many Bridges which they cannot do unless Incorporated & Enabled to Raise Taxes &c. Petition for a new County. To His Excellency John Wentworth Esqr. Captain General, Governour & Commander in Chief in & over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire & the Honourable His Majesties Council & House of Representatives in General Assembly Conven'd. The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Sundry Towns to which our names are annexed, All in the Province aforesaid Humbly Shews That by Reason of our Remote Situation from the Metropolis of the Government, where all the Courts Legislative & Executive are held Our Expense time & Trouble &c to Recover our Just Debts is Often greater than our Debts, & if the Case Requires Evidences & the Deft Appeals & procures a few Continuances we had better let any man with Hold a sum Large enough to Distress a poor family than be quite Ruined according to Law, in Perticular our Widows, Fatherless, & Orphans suffer, to settle an Estate agreeable to Law leaves little or nothing to Suport the Survivors. Some are so unreasonable that they Report when we have a County on Our side Merrimac River, the Shire Town will be at that or Connecticut River & some are so weak as to believe it will be so, Either of which is so absurd & unjust it would be an affront to Common Sense & Impartial Justice to Offer Reasons for or against either. Our prayer is first that we may have a County Secondly that a Committee of Judicious Impartial Gentlemen may View all the Land & number all the Inhabitants, Intended to be Included in said County and every Circumstance being maturely Considered & every Reason Estimated at its Proper Nature we doubt not (from your well Known Clemency & Impartial Justice) But we shall have a County & the Shire Town Appointed where it will best Accommodate the Inhabitants that are or may be within its Bounds, Which is all our desire & your Petitioners as in Duty Bound will ever pray. Dated Sep. 2d A D. 1767. John Young Alexander Swan Samuel Cunningham Isaac Mitchell James Robbe Thomas Morison John Morison Junr. Charles White Thomas Morison Junr. John Robbe Petition relating to Peterborough Slip. To His Excellency John Wentworth Esqr. Captain General and Governour in Chief in and over his Majestys province of New hampshire and vice Admiral of the Same & the Honourable his majestys Council. The Humble Petition of us the Subscribers humbly sheweth that whereas there is a certain part or Tract of Land in our Said province, Known by the name of Peterborough Slip unincorporated and not enough to make a town or Destrick and not under any regulation whereby we can repair our Roads which Lys unrepaired to the great Detriment of the Inhabitants and the publick in general, we therefore humbly pray your excellency and honours that said tract or parcell of Land known by the Name of Peterborough Slip aforesaid may be annexed to the town of Peterborough as the most Contiguous Incorporate town that we may Injoy every privilidge consistant with our Infant State all which we Submit to your excellencys and your honours Clemency and as our Distant Situation is well known to you we from your well known candor cannot fail to meet with Dispatch. we hope your compliance and we as in Duty bound will ever pray Peterborough Slip in the province of New hampshire May 18th 1770 John M Allaster John Thorn William McAllaster Peter McAllaster William McNee David Moor John Swan Jun' Inhabitance of s hr Petition relating to Rev. John Morrison. Province of To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' New Hamps Capt. General Governor & Commander in chief in & over the said Province of New Hampshire, To the Honourable his majestys Councill & House of Representatives. The Humble Petition of us the Subscribers Being Inhabitants of The Town of Peterborough in the County of Hillsborough & Province aforesaid Humbly Sheweth that about five years since the Reverend John Morrison was Legally appointed to & ordained in the work of the ministry in said Town since which Time he has been guilty various times of profane swearing, Drunkenness, Immodest Actions & conversation & other Lew'd wicked & Disorderly behaviour Quite unbecoming the christian character by Reason of which your Petitioners Humbly apprehend that he is by no means Suitable to Exercise the sacred function, nor can they derive any Benefit or advantage from his ministry or Injoy any of the christian ordinances under his administration Wherefore your Petitioners most Humbly pray That your Excellency & Honours would take the matter under your wise consideration & Release them from the agreement Entered into by them at the time of said Morrison settlement That they may have Liberty to settle & support some other minister who shall better support the ministerial character or grant them such other Relief as your Excellency & Honours shall Think proper & your Petitioners as in Duty bound will Ever pray. Dated at Peterborough Novemb 27th 1771 William McNee Samuel Miller James Cunningham William Cochran Mathew Miller James McKeen Sam Mitchel In Council Dec 14, 177! The Petition was read & ordered to be sent down to the Honble Assembly Province of Geo King D. Secy In the House of Representatives Dec 16, 1771. New Hampshire) Upon Reading this Petition Voted that the Petition ers serve the said John Morrison with a Copy of this Petition & order of Court thereon that he may be heard thereon the 3d Day of the sitting of the General Assembly after the 15th day of January next to shew cause if any he has why the Prayer hereof should not be Granted. In Council Decembr 18, 1771 Attest Wm Parker Clerk This Petition having been Read the above Vote was non concurred & it is ordered that the Petition be dismissed. Geo King D. Secy In Council Decem. 20, 1771 This Petition was read & reconsidered and Concurred with this amendment, that the Selectmen of Peterborough be also served with a Copy of this Petition by order of Court. Attest Geo. King D. Secy In the House of Representatives Dec 20, 1771 The above Vote of Council being Considered & the Question being put it pass'd in the Negative, it was then proposed that this petition be Dismissed Accordingly the Question being put it pass'd in the affirmative Petition for a division of Peterborough. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Capt. Gen1 Com in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire & Vice admiral of the same, and to the Honble his Majestys Council. The Petition of us the Subscribers Freeholders of the Town of Peterborough Incorporated by Benning Wentworth Esq late Gov. of said province, the Free holders of that Tract of Land called Peterborough Slip, the Freeholders of that Tract of land called the Society, together with part of the Free holders of the Township of Jeffrey, most Humbly ShewsThat your Petits are at great inconveniencies as to the situation of said Vacant Tracts unincorporated, that the Tract called the Slip on the Southerly side of said Peterborough, & the Tracts on the Northerly side called the Society is neither of them near half sufficient to make a Corporated town or parish, and y petitioners pray your Excellency & Honours to Divide the said Township of Peterborough into two parts by a Westerly line extending from the middle of the East Boundary to the middle of the West Boundary of said town, so that the Southerly part of said Peterb may be annexed to the aforesaid Slip, together with four teir of Lotts taken off from the Easterly part of Jeffrey which will make one valuable Township, and your Petit pray your Excellency & Honours to add to the North part of Peterb about Three miles north of the now north Boundary extending by a west line from the west Boundary of Francestown till it meets with a line extending North from the North-West corner of said Peterb❞ so that one other Compleat Township may be made, & your petit pray your Excellency & Honours to Incorporate said towns by the lines aforesaid which will much Facilitate the Settlement of the vacant Lands which now lye uncultivated in the aforesaid Towns and Vacant Tracts besides much contributing to the Enjoyment of their Civil & Religious Rights & Priviledges and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound will ever pray. Peterborough Slip Gilbert McCay John Davis James McNee James Millikin Henry Sallanham John Swan John Taggart Josiah Crosby Andrew Conn Jeffrey. James Heywood J John Priest Ebenezer Thompson |